Nuclear Waste Management

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Nuclear waste management is one of the key issues in the nuclear business for a reliable and sustainable development of nuclear energy production.

Nuclear scrap melting

The main problem of nuclear energy is the nuclear waste produced by this activity.
Nuclear power generation facilities worldwide produce about 200,000 m3 of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

For more information about nuclear waste visit the WNA website.

Different waste streams will be created during decommissioning of nuclear power plants. One of them is the metallic scrap. Typical amounts are between 20000 and 30000 Mg for a 1000 MW NPP. About 25 % of scrap can be reused in the nuclear industry. An extended recycling can be achieved by a better measurement of a homogenous metal block and by decontamination effects during melting.

Waste Management of nuclear waste for geological time periods is one of the key issues in the nuclear business for a reliable and sustainable development of nuclear energy production.
ALD France provides innovative solution for the treatment of LLW.

 

ALD France decommissioning furnaces

ALD France design and manufacture scrap melting vacuum furnaces to treat the metallic scrap (Low Level Waste) from the NPPs.

Vacuum technology used at high-temperature processes improves the safety of installations. Confinement is well controlled and guaranties a safe enclosure even in case of an accidental leakage. Furthermore the vacuum technology reduce the off gas amounts to less than 1m3/h.
In comparison with air or atmosphere controlled operated furnaces, a vacuum or partial pressure process is:

  • Safer
  • Environment friendly
  • More efficient and flexible

Stationary unit of nuclear scrap melting

VIDP 400 VIDP 1000 VIDP 2000 VIDP 3000
Crucible size (tons) 1 – 3 4 – 8 9 – 18 19 – 30
Operating pressure (mbar) 10-1 – 10-2
Output melting power supply (kW) 600 – 1,500 1,500 – 2,500 2,500 – 3,500 3,500
Connected power vacuum pump set and auxiliary equipment (kVA) 150 250 300 350

Cooling water consumption

(Δt=10 °C) (m3.h-1)

 100 150 200 250

Mobile unit of nuclear scrap melting

 

Mobile unit of nuclear scrap melting

Reduce the time and cost induced by the transport of contaminated metal from nuclear plant to waste transformation plant.

Irradiated Graphite Matrix – IGM

The main problem of nuclear energy is the nuclear waste produced by this activity.

Each year, nuclear power generation facilities worldwide produce about 10,000 m3 of high-level waste including used fuel designated as waste.
Waste Management of nuclear waste for geological time periods is one of the key issues in the nuclear business for a reliable and sustainable development of nuclear energy production.

ALD France develops a new embedding material for radioactive waste, which guarantees a safe enclosure from the biosphere for millions of years.

 

What is IGM?

IGM is a glass graphite composite material:                                 

  • 80 % graphite
  • 20 % glass

The manufacturing process consists of a high temperature pressing under vacuum.
The resulting material has no pores and therefore cannot be penetrated by water.

Graphite is a geological stable material proven by its natural occurrence. However, its porous structure anticipates the use of graphite as long term stable waste matrix for final disposal. Aqueous phases can penetrate into the pore system and radionuclides absorbed on the surface will be dissolved.

IGM has still similar heat conductivity coefficients as graphite. Therefore only negligible temperature increase in the center of the IGM.

This problem is solved with IGM because of its closed pore system. IGM has a density higher than 99 % of theoretical density and therefore a negligible porosity. Therefore IGM represents a long term stable leaching resistant matrix for the embedding radioactive waste but additionally irradiated graphite, which has to be disposed as radioactive waste anyhow, can be used as feedstock material.

Manufacturing process of IGM

Advantages of IGM

  • High package density
  • Negligible porosity
    • No water penetration
    • Safe embedding material
  • Capture of volatile radionuclides
  • Flexible matrix for different waste types
  • High heat conductivity
  • Industrial available HIP process